Azerbaijan haven't had transparent elections for about two decades now.
Unless of course you only listen to Azerbaiajani government officials who swear this to be otherwise.
I have observed elections in Azerbaijan three times - and here, you don't have to try hard to spot violations because its natural. Carousel voting we have it. Stuffed ballots we have it. Election commission members claiming and calling you a liar when you spot them cheat, you have it. Indeed we have it all.
Today, Azerbaijan is holding its Municipal elections (December 23, 2014). Our municipalities were introduced in 1999 not because Azerbaijani government wanted to. But because we were supposed to have municipalities as part of recommendations and requirements for being Council of Europe member.
Municipalities exercise very little power in Azerbaijan. They pretty much have limited or no budget whatsoever and mostly other government institutions treat it as a joke.
The footage below was taken today. The cameraman filmed a woman stuffing the ballot box while the commission official was lying bluntly into the camera "they are happy with a vote turnout" and etc. He then turns the camera towards the woman who just stuffed the box and asks her why she did that. Immediately everyone at the polling station comes after him and calls him a liar. The rest is pretty self explanatory.
This is the reality of Azerbaijani elections. Its all the same - presidential, parliamentary, municipal. I just don't understand the point of having them since they are all rigged anyway.
enjoy!
oh and next time, whoever tries telling you there are free and fair elections in Azerbaijan, please don't buy it. it ain't true.
4 comments:
I have doubt that this video is accurate and produced today. it is dated 22 december. there is no evidence on true location.
"This is a false video. Video dated December 22 (it was yesterday). There is no exact address of the polling station. Was it really happended today? in which exactly place? why there is no official complaint submitted to the Election Commission?
Municipalities are the new institutions in Azerbaijan, and the government of Azerbaijan is promoting and empowering them by supporting their functioning and budgeting, but here the main reason is the raising of the support of the population and participation of citizens in municipalitis. This needs a time. Regarding the stuffing as mentioned in the article, it is necessary to prove when it is shooted and who organized i, as mentioned by author if the munucipalities are so weak, why the government whould be so interested to make such kind of things.
Municipalities are the new institutions in Azerbaijan, and the government of Azerbaijan is promoting and empowering them by supporting their functioning and budgeting, but here the main reason is the raising of the support of the population and participation of citizens in municipalitis. This needs a time. Regarding the stuffing as mentioned in the article, it is necessary to prove when it is shooted and who organized i, as mentioned by author if the munucipalities are so weak, why the government whould be so interested to make such kind of things.
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